Author Archives: Wade

Doctor Henry Love

Born in Dublin, Ireland in 1857, he gained his Batchelor of Art and Batchelor of Medicine at Dublin University in 1878. He died in March 1934.

In the 1891 census, he is living in Mitcham with his wife Eliza Lea, who was also born in Dublin, at no. 3, Whitford Lane. Their eldest daughter, Eva Maud, aged 8, was born in Mitcham in 1883, so he would have moved from Ireland to Mitcham between 1878 and 1883.

In the 1885 Medical Directory his address is Ryde Cottage.

In the 1901 and 1911 censuses he is living at Elm Lodge. The electoral registers shows he was at Elm Lodge until 1923, when he moved to Avoca, until 1933. He was in hospital June 1933, and died the following year.

He contributed “Procidentia, complete Rupture of Cervix Uteri, occurring in Twin Labour,” to the Lancet, in 1882. In 1891 he wrote for the Lancet, “Rupture of the Uterus during Parturition”.

Merton Memories photo at the Woodlands Maternity Clinic in 1920.

News Articles

From the Mitcham News & Mercury, 16th June 1933

DR. Henry LOVE

Satisfactory Progress
after operation

We are pleased to be able to state that Dr. Henry Love is making satisfactory progress in his serious illness. He is still a patient in Wilson Cottage Hospital, and the operation he has undergone has proved successful.

Dr. Love is 77 years of age, and everybody wishes him a speedy recovery and many more years of public service.


His death was reported in March 1934:

Believed to have been the oldest doctor in practice in Surrey, Dr. Henry Love, of Commonside, East Mitcham, has died, aged 77.

Source: Hastings and St Leonards Observer – Saturday 17 March 1934 from the British Newspaper Archive (subscription required)

In the 1912 directory Henry Love M.B., L.R.C.S.I., Lower Green east, is listed as a manager of the Zion Congregational School.

Bruce Road

Road on former Gorringe Park estate, west of Heaton Road.

1913 OS Map

1913 OS Map

The road was made up in 1902. From the minutes of the Croydon Rural District Council, Volume 8, 1902 to 1903, 18th September 1902, page 395:

Grenfell Road Tenders

The Council opened and considered the undermentioned tenders received for the making up, forming, kerbing, and metalling of Grenfell Road, Mitcham:-

Stockwell & Co., Bromley = £698 7s.
Adams, T., Wood Green, London = £574
Iles, E., Mitcham = £472
Free & Sons, Maidenhead = £437
Wheeler, W., Southwark, S.E. = £369

Resolved, That the tender of Messrs. Free & Sons, of Maidenhead, be accepted, and that the necessary bond be entered into in accordance of conduct.


From the 1915 street directory:

from Ashbourne Road to Figg’s marsh

EAST SIDE

2 Jean Marie Berthelot, teacher of french
4 Sydney Taylor
6 Albert Edward Snowdon
8 Francis Stagg
10 Charles W Beaven
12 William Henry Isaac
14 Harry Tanner Lucas
16 Albert Edward Everett
18 George Osmond
20 William Philip Evans
22 Frederick Greasby
24 James Henry Brown
26 George Gray
28 James Champion
30 Sidney Clover
32 Francis W Dutton
34 Walter John Maunder
36 William Fulbrook
38 John Blunt
40 Herbert Warner
42 Ernest John Willmott
44 William Henry Parsonage
46 Mrs Bond
48 Mrs P. Zietz, teacher of music
50 Ernest Wall Mills
52 Robert George Fletcher
54 Robert Bracken
56 Owen H. Bailey, insurance agent
58 National Deposit Friendly Society (Mitcham district) (Francis Swann, secretary)
60 Thomas Lawton
62 James Bryan
64 George William Richards
66 Alfred Crowhurst

WEST SIDE

1 George Adams, grocer
27 william George Kempsell, grocer
29 H.D. Sanders, boot maker

… here is Inglemere Road …

25A J. Richardson, builder & decorator

… here is Gorringe park avenue & Figg’s marsh …

World War 1 Connections
Rifleman Ernest James Blagburn
Private Frederick Isaac
Private A E Snowdon

WW2 Civilian Casualties

11th October 1940

29 Bruce Road

Ella Marjory DUNN, aged 31

Minnie SANDERS, aged 69
Reginald Frederick SANDERS, aged 44
Charlotte Irene STRINGER, aged 30
Ray Frank William STRINGER, aged 9
Shirley Ann STRINGER, aged 4

38 Bruce Road

Phyllis EVANS, aged 23
Douglas Leonard STARES, aged 26


Minutes of meetings held by the Croydon Rural District Council are available on request from the Merton Heritage and Local Studies Centre at Morden Library.

Maps are reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland.